Shows / Infamous
Infamous
Behind every infamous news story is a journalist trying to hold power to account. Join reporters Vanessa Grigoriadis, Gabriel Sherman, and Natalie Robehmed as they take an in-depth look at the most explosive scandals of this century. From high-profile divorces to sex cults to the lies that started a war, they’ll guide you through the juiciest, most outrageous, celeb-filled stories of the last two decades, and give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to shine an unflattering light on…
Episodes
InfamousThe Truth About Ruby Franke | Part 2
Ruby gains a reputation for being strict with her kids, in contrast to the popular practice of gentle parenting. But when she starts having trouble with her…
InfamousThe Truth About Ruby Franke | Part 1
Stay-at-home mom Ruby Franke starts a YouTube channel, joining a popular niche of Mormon women sharing their lives online as mommy vloggers. While Ruby gains a…
- Infamous
Are We Banning TikTok?
Technology and culture writer Taylor Lorenz joins Vanessa and Natalie to discuss TikTok, its addictive algorithm, and what’s behind the U.S. ban of the app. Is…
- Infamous
The Rise and Fall of Glossier, The Wing And GirlBosses
This week we’re talking about girlbosses, a very specific set of highly-marketable young women who ran businesses like Glossier, Nasty Gal, and The Wing. Where…
- Infamous
Hollywood Spirituality: The Case of Jay Shetty
Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Tom Holland, Michelle Obama — these are just some of the celebrities who’ve fallen under the spell of Jay Shetty, the former…
- Infamous
Tory Burch, Retail Revenge I Part 3
Tensions worsen between Tory and Chris after Chris launches his own fashion company, C. Wonder. The two battle it out in court before reaching a private…
- Infamous
Tory Burch, Retail Revenge I Part 2
Fractures appear in Chris and Tory’s marriage and in business relationship. When Chris tries to convince his soon-to-be ex-wife to offer cheap knockoffs of her…
- Infamous
Tory Burch, Retail Revenge I Part 1
“It” couple Chris and Tory Burch launch a wildly successful clothing company that reflects Tory’s signature boho-preppy style. When Oprah catches wind of the…
- Infamous
College Part 2: How the Rich and Famous Do It
As some students hear back from colleges this spring, Vanessa and Natalie dig deeper into the admissions hysteria, obsession, and scandal. The Varsity Blues…
- Infamous
College Part 1: Felicity Huffman’s Desperate Crime
In 2019, a case called Varsity Blues cracked open college admissions, revealing a nexus of corrupt athletic coaches and celebrity parents willing to spend…
- Infamous
The Love of Diddy's Life
In the 90s, you couldn’t escape rapper and record executive Sean Love Combs (aka Puff Daddy or P. Diddy) and his hit songs like “It's All About the Benjamins.”…
- Infamous
Inside Meghan Markle + Kate Middleton I Part 3
While Natalie and Vanessa were researching Meghan Markle, another royal scandal took over the internet. Kate Middleton disappeared from public view, unleashing…
- Infamous
Inside Meghan Markle's Media Chess Game | Part 2
The only family that might be messier than Megan Markle’s? Her husband’s. This week, we’re diving into the royals, and how the firm’s staid, slow, and highly…
- Infamous
Inside Meghan Markle's Media Chess Game | Part 1
With Kate Middleton's "disappearance" in the headlines, we investigate another Princess who absconded: Meghan Markle. But the real question is, who is Meghan?…
- Infamous
Is the Lohanissance Real?
How did Lindsay Lohan go from starring alongside Meryl Streep and Jamie Lee Curtis to doing court-ordered community service at the LA county morgue? Vanessa…
- Infamous
Viral Stories: The Instagram Star and the Science Founder
In an age where we’re all defined by our digital presence, social media savvy can be a kind of superpower. This week, Vanessa interviews Caroline Calloway, the…
- Infamous
Justin Bieber’s Breathwork Santa
In the last decade, the “Iceman” Wim Hof has become a household name. Orlando Bloom to Oprah Winfrey have practiced his method, which includes daily cold…
- Infamous
Kendall Jenner, AI and Sex Before OnlyFans
How is technology shifting how we think about sex? Can our virtual lives shape sex IRL? To explore these questions, Vanessa travels back to the 90s, recalling…
- Infamous
"Fifty Shades" of Fiasco
E. L. James, author of the Fifty Shades of Grey novels, steps into the shoes of her domineering protagonist when she is given an unprecedented level of control…
- Infamous
Mean Girls: The Real Regina George Speaks For the First Time
You probably know Tina Fey’s iconic camp masterpiece, Mean Girls—but do you know the real-life story behind the screenplay? In this episode, Vanessa and…
- Infamous
Robbing Paris Hilton: The Bling Ring
After breaking into celebrity homes and stealing millions of dollars in cash and luxury goods, a group of teenagers becomes famous themselves as the Bling…
- Infamous
Taylor Swift Before She Was Famous | Part 4
For the final episode on Taylor Swift, Vanessa and Natalie get caught up on what's going on in Taylor's life today. We'll hear about the epic battle between…
- Infamous
Taylor Swift Before She Was Famous | Part 3
Taylor reemerges after the Kanye incident with her hard-hitting album Reputation. The reception is mixed, but Taylor’s made a big statement: she’s not just a…
- Infamous
Taylor Swift Before She Was Famous | Part 2
After Vanessa finished writing about Taylor in 2009, Natalie would start following Taylor’s career while working at Forbes, and would discover not only a…
- Infamous
Taylor Swift Before She Was Famous | Part 1
Believe it or not, there was a time when Taylor Swift wasn’t the most famous person on the planet. She was just an up-and-coming country prodigy thrilled to…
- Infamous
Gwyneth Paltrow's Ski Trial | Part 3
Renowned Gwynethologist and Fleishman is in Trouble creator Taffy Brodesser-Akner joins Vanessa to talk about how Gwyneth became a one-of-a-kind cultural icon…
- Infamous
Gwyneth Paltrow's Ski Trial | Part 2
Gwyneth Paltrow takes the stand in her ski crash trial against a retired optometrist. But as new facts emerge, is it possible that Gwyneth could be one of…
- Infamous
Gwyneth Paltrow's Ski Trial | Part 1
Gwyneth Paltrow is as famous for her luxury lifestyle as she is for her movies. But when she collides with a man on a ski slope in Park City, Utah, she finds…
- Infamous
Revealing Victoria’s Secret
After a multi-year hiatus, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has returned, but it’s nothing like it used to be. Natalie attended the show in 2015 with celebs…
- Infamous
Vince McMahon, The Rock, and the WWE's Reality Show for Men
Vince McMahon — the mastermind behind the WWE, who put stars like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Hulk Hogan on the map — has been traveling a rocky road the…
- Infamous
The Pickup Artist Uncovered | Part 3
Vanessa invites psychoanalyst Robin Kirman to talk about Jared’s story and to answer some of the burning questions it raises. Like, how do all those pickup…
- Infamous
The Pickup Artist Uncovered | Part 2
Rachel goes to meet the most hated man in Asheville to hear his side of the story. Jared is ready to make amends with the women he’s wronged, but the only…
- Infamous
The Pickup Artist Uncovered | Part 1
Waking Life Espresso is one of the most beloved, locally-owned coffee shops in Asheville, North Carolina. That is, until an anonymous online sleuth discovers…
- Infamous
What Is an 'Emotional Truth'?
Good looking, charismatic, and experienced, comedian and political commentator Hasan Minhaj is reportedly a frontrunner for Trevor Noah's hosting slot at The…
- Infamous
Why Are Mindy Kaling and Kim Kardashian So Thin?
In a matter of months, the diabetes drug Ozempic has become a household name, and the Danish pharmaceutical company that produces it has achieved a market cap…
- Infamous
Politics Collection: The Brothers Cuomo | Part 2
This episode will be released for free starting September 14th. With so few leaders to turn to in this time of crisis, the public is willing to overlook Andrew…
- Infamous
Politics Collection: The Brothers Cuomo | Part 1
This episode will be released for free starting September 7th. In the confusing, scary early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, one question captured the…
- Infamous
Barbie’s Dream House and NYC’s Private School Nightmare
Today, there are two stories on Infamous. First, Vanessa talks to Decoder Ring's Willa Paskin about the event of the summer — the Barbie movie — and learns…
- Infamous
Bernie Madoff, Line One
After notorious Wall Street scammer Bernie Madoff was sentenced to prison, he refused to speak with the media. But journalist Steve Fishman took that as a…
- Infamous
Sergey Brin and the 23andMe Story | Part 3
Philosophy queen Virginia Heffernan looks back on her experience wearing Google Glass and on the product’s ultimate failure, then considers what the fiasco can…
- Infamous
Sergey Brin and the 23andMe Story | Part 2
Newly aware of his increased risk for Parkinson’s Disease, Sergey is in a hurry to make a mark on the world with a new, cutting-edge technology: Google Glass…
- Infamous
Sergey Brin and the 23andMe Story | Part 1
With the meteoric rise of Google in the early aughts, Anne Wojcicki and Sergey Brin became one of the wealthiest power couples in Silicon Valley. But when Anne…
- Infamous
Politics Collection, Bill Clinton's Body Man I Part 2
When Doug Band got between Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea, his rising star fell like a rock. Soon he found himself on the outside of an empire he'd…
- Infamous
Politics Collection: Bill Clinton's Body Man I Part 1
After the presidency, Bill Clinton's reputation wasn't faring well, and neither were his finances. But his long-time assistant, Doug Band, figured out a way to…
- Infamous
Politics Collection, Fool Me Twice | Part 3 + Maria Butina Speaks
Paul is arrested and must defend his schemes over the years. Victims speak out about being played by Erickson for years, but apologies and contrition aren’t…
- Infamous
Politics Collection, Fool Me Twice: A 'Russian Spy' and a South Dakotan Operative Fall in Love I Part 2
The Feds come down on Paul’s girlfriend Maria Butina, and the truth of her connections in Russia spill into the open. But Paul’s past isn’t squeaky clean…
- Infamous
Politics Collection, Fool Me Twice: A 'Russian Spy' and a South Dakotan Operative Fall in Love I Part 1
Paul Erickson made headlines in 2017 when it was revealed that his Russian girlfriend, Maria Butina, could’ve been a spy who was using him to gain access to…
- Infamous
The Juggalette
Few musical acts have played the heel as well as the Insane Clown Posse. In 2011, the FBI even classified Juggalos, the group’s rabid fans, as a criminal gang…
- Infamous
Politics Collection: “Little Miss Run Amok” I Part 3
Judith Miller is publicly taken to task by her own editors. But when she’s entangled in a scandal, being fired from the Times ends up being the least of her…
- Infamous
Politics Collection: “Little Miss Run Amok” I Part 2
Judith Miller doubles down on finding evidence for WMD and heads to Iraq with the military to find them herself. But while she’s away in Iraq, the New York…
- Infamous
Politics Collection: “Little Miss Run Amok” I Part 1
The New York Times undergoes changes after 9/11, and Judith Miller is on the cutting edge of war on terror reporting. When the Bush administration begins…
- Infamous
NXIVM’s Inner Circle I Part 6
We deep dive into the heiress who bankrolled NXIVM, Clare Bronfman, talking about what psychological factors were at play when she became entrenched in the…
- Infamous
NXIVM’s Inner Circle | Part 5
India Oxenberg talks about what was happening behind the scenes in NXIVM when they granted Vanessa access, India’s difficult but rewarding healing journey, and…
- Infamous
NXIVM’s Inner Circle | Part 4
At a NXIVM summit, Vanessa begins to suspect that her exclusive access is a sham. No one, it seems, is being honest. When the federal indictments are finally…
- Infamous
NXIVM’s Inner Circle | Part 3
It turns out that NXIVM has bigger problems on their hands than just some bad press. Vanessa flies to Guadalajara, to meet their leader, supposed genius and…
- Infamous
NXIVM’s Inner Circle | Part 2
Vanessa meets more higher-ups in NXIVM, like Nancy Salzman, and learns about JNess, NXIVM’s all-female empowerment subgroup. Disturbing details crop up, and…
- Infamous
NXIVM’s Inner Circle | Part 1
News leaks that someone in the self-help group NXIVM has branded female members with their leader’s initials. Now, the nation believes they are a cult. In the…
- Infamous
Politics Collection: From Death Threats to Dinner | Part 2
Gabriel Sherman has a front-row seat to Bannon’s turbulent final days in the White House. As he chronicles Bannon’s attempt at gaining supremacy again, Gabe…
- Infamous
Politics Collection: From Death Threats to Dinner | Part 1
Gabriel Sherman tells Vanessa the story of his relationship with Steven Bannon, executive chairman of Breitbart News and briefly chief White House strategist…
InfamousBoy Gone Wild | Part 6
Vanessa sits down with author and former porn model Lux Alptraum to discuss how pornography has changed over the decades, whether what happens in culture…